Access to Information Marks One-Year Anniversary

Submitted by Hannah George On Fri, 07/01/2011

July 1, 2011—The World Bank today marks the one-year anniversary of its Access to Information (AI) policy[1]. The landmark policy increases transparency, accessibility and accountability of the Bank’s operations and programs.

Bank management and external stakeholders agree that implementation has gone well. The institution has disclosed more than 13,000 new documents[2], resulting in a collection of over 117,000 reports that are accessed by nearly 3,000 worldwide users every day (see graph). A successful staff training program helped ensure effective implementation across the Bank, at headquarters and in more than 100 country offices.

The graph below shows a gradual uptick in the number of unique visitors to the Bank’s Documents and Reports[2] site since the launch of the policy last July. During the first five months, there was a 126% increase of unique visitors – from 44,081 to 99,520.

Use of the World Bank’s Documents and Reports Site Monthly unique visitors (in thousands)Source: World BankYou can find more related information and resources on our mobile applications[6] or at any of our Public Information Services[7] centers located worldwide. You can also request for information using the online request form[8].

So, where do we go from here? Let us know what you think about the policy and how public information is used to increase transparency, accountability and innovation. Your comments and suggestions are welcome.